Publicly savaged by reason, good sense and logic, Hanson is unbowed

Writing in The Age, Mark Kenny reports: Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson appeared before the budget estimates committees of the Senate where she proceeded with all her customary thoughtfulness.

“Can you confirm that the four terrorist attacks and the 12 foiled, that has [sic] happened on Australian soil, was [sic] committed by Muslims and, if not, who?” she asked Duncan Lewis, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

Lewis was frank, explaining that one of the thwarted attacks involved a right-wing extremist.

“So the answer is no, they have not all been carried out by Muslims. But I’ve got to stress, senator, this is very important, ASIO does not make its inquiries or its assessments on the basis of somebody’s religion.

Another incoherent Hanson preamble followed, before: “Do you believe that the threat is being brought in possibly from Middle-Eastern refugees that are coming out to Australia?”

Lewis: “I’ve absolutely no evidence to suggest there’s a connection between refugees and terrorism.”

Will this change Hanson’s mind? Will it stop her spouting xenophobic nonsense? Will it lead to her making a more constructive contribution to the national security debate?

Of course not. Reason and logic don’t work on bigots. People like Duncan Lewis must be deeply frustrated that people like Pauline Hanson make his job so much more difficult and they do through blindAll and wilful ignorance.